|
SCUTTLEBUTT 2241 – December 12, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with support provided by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, Defender of the 32nd America's Cup (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). DESAFÍO ESPAÑOL 2007 SIGNS PAUL CAYARD (Dec 11, 2006) Desafío Español 2007 anounced today, Tuesday 11th of December, signing with American Paul Cayard to be the sport and technical advisor for the team. Cayard has sailed in five editions of the America’s Cup and won the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1992 as skipper on the Italian boat, Il Moro di Venezia. The local team challenging for the 32nd America’s Cup has signed an agreement with the Cayard Sailing Company and personally with Paul Cayard (San Francisco, 1959), who will help the team prepare successfully ESP 97 for a few weeks in the build up to the Louis Vuitton races. Agustín Zulueta, Sporting and Technical Director of the team said that he “trusts Paul Cayard’s experience to help the team to be one of the top four.” Zulueta also assured that with this agreement “we are trying to raise the level of our crew” concluding, “we want to use the best Cayard can give us and we fully trust in the crew we now have.” -- Event website: http://tinyurl.com/y67frw * The Valencia Sailing website reports that Cayard will initially be employed for two months as consultant for the Spanish team and helmsman of the second boat. After that period, Cayard and Desafío Español will jointly agree on his role in the team. Paul Cayard will supervise the preparation and finetune of ESP-97, the Spanish team's brand new boat, which is scheduled to make the trip this month from the construction yard to the team's base in Port America's Cup, where it will get fitted out to begin the first structural tests later in January 2007. -- http://valenciasailing.blogspot.com MAKING A DIFFERENCE What started at a holiday party as cocktail conversation one year ago has finished its first season as one of the great acts of charity that occur in the sport. When an Annapolis sailor wondered out loud about buying a J/105 so the local kids could have a boat to sail, it was easy to discard it as an “inebriated idea.” However, that all changed when a brand new boat arrived in the spring. Team Tsunami was organized, with the idea being to give middle and high school age children the opportunity to learn how to enjoy and handle a keel boat, with modern sail configuration, modern electronics, and one design competition, while racing and practicing as a team. TT saw a need for the juniors in the Annapolis area to acquire skills on a keelboat and to have the resources to participate in local competition. To make the experience more productive and fun for the juniors the syndicate has hired instructors. A curriculum has been developed so any level of junior will acquire the necessary skills. All skill levels of juniors are invited to join the team and they will be trained to become competent boat hands on a keel boat. No team member is allowed to monopolize a position on the boat, a rotation schedule will be in place. -- Read on: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/tsunami * Curmudgeon’s Comment: Efforts like Team Tsunami are a brilliant and generous solution to provide some balance to the youth sailor’s background, with energy like this being the antidote to the trend observed in Scuttleblog’s “Have we lost a generation of sailors?” posting in October 2006: http://tinyurl.com/khr2t MONDAY MORNING TACTICIAN (American Andrew Campbell is the top ranked Laser sailor in the US, and was the 2006 College Sailor of the Year. If you are the petty, jealous type, Andrew would be an easy person to dislike: he’s a great sailor, profoundly well mannered, speaks intelligently, good-looking, and able to sail Lasers this past weekend in Sarasota, FL where he enjoyed 10-20 knots and 70-75 degree temperatures. Below is an excerpt from Andrew’s blog, where he discusses the fine print of the racing rules as it applies to breaking a tie.) This week’s edition of analysis from the Monday Morning Tactician was inspired by the past weekend’s District 13 Laser/Radial/ 4.7 Championships held at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. The brief rundown from the regatta is as follows. In the six race series I scored (1,1,2,2,1,2) and I managed somehow to lose the regatta. Mike Kalin, to his credit and our amazement beat that score with his equally decent series (2,2,1,1,4,1). The first point that I would like to make is directly from the Racing Rules of Sailing. Upon returning to the dock, both Mike and I had concluded that we had indeed tied, thanks to the use of a throwout in the scores. We also concluded that the scores would be finalized in reverse whereby I won and Mike finished second. – Read on to learn how their thinking was wrong: http://tinyurl.com/y5b9vv NEED LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS IDEAS? Look no further than Vanguard. Not only can you get free gear (dollies, covers or Magic Marine gear) now with the purchase and delivery of a Vanguard boat by December 31st, but you can also purchase the newest Laser accessory, the clew sleeve. For a complete list of dealers: http://www.teamvanguard.com DEFENDER TRIALS Alinghi is wrapping up the first period of the Dubai winter training camp at the Dubai International Marine Club with the first event of their Defender Trials Series. These Defender Trials will span the period in Dubai and later in Valencia and will have for long term aim the crew selection and later the racing yacht selection. Here are the Dubai Defender Trials schedule: -- Pre-trials: This warm-up event for the “UBS Dubai Defender Trials”, will take place from the 12-15 December when helmsmen Ed Baird and Peter Holmberg and their respective crews will go head to head over a four-day event. There will be two races per day on an America’s Cup course. Following the pre-trials, the Alinghi team will be on break from 15 Dec 06 until 15 Jan 07. -- Round 1: Kicks off the first of two “UBS Dubai Defender Trials”, from the 31 January-3 February, which will include two races per day and a prize-giving at the end. -- Round 2: The second of the “UBS Dubai Defender Trials” will be from the 16-19 February and will result in the helmsman and afterguard selection for LV Act 13 in Valencia. Further rounds will be announced to be held after LV Act 13 in Valencia. -- Alinghi team website: http://www.alinghi.com BILLIONS LATER Four years after the Coast Guard began an effort to replace nearly its entire fleet of ships, planes and helicopters, the modernization program heralded as a model of government innovation is foundering. The initial venture - converting rusting 110-foot patrol boats, the workhorses of the Coast Guard, into more versatile 123-foot cutters - has been canceled after hull cracks and engine failures made the first eight boats unseaworthy. Plans to build a new class of 147-foot ships with an innovative hull have been halted after the design was found to be flawed. And the first completed new ship - a $564 million behemoth christened last month - has structural weaknesses that some Coast Guard engineers believe may threaten its safety and limit its life span, unless costly repairs are made. The problems have helped swell the costs of the fleet-building program to a projected $24 billion, from $17 billion, and delayed the arrival of any new ships or aircraft. That has compromised the Coast Guard’s ability to fulfill its mission, which greatly expanded after the 2001 attacks to include guarding the nation’s shores against terrorists. The service has been forced to cut back on patrols and, at times, ignore tips from other federal agencies about drug smugglers. The difficulties will only grow more acute in the next few years as old boats fail and replacements are not ready. -- by Eric Lipton, New York Time, full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/09/us/09ship.html CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar WHERE OLYMPIC YACHTING IS HEADED Adjusting your sport to remain relevant to Olympic viewers has happened again. Just 10 months ago, we witnessed the debut of snowboard-cross at the Winter Games in Torino, which drew big crowds and good ratings. Now for the 2010 games in Vancouver, expect to see the latest variation, skicross. Similar to snowboard-cross, Skicross will involve groups of skiers racing each other to the bottom of a course with jumps, rollers, banks and other man-made and natural terrain features along the route. As the IOC is quoted to have said, skicross has a "strong appeal for the young generation." For sailing, what events or classes have a “strong appeal for the young generation?” Do current Olympic classes like the Star and Finn - two of the less sexy classes currently being used - have a chance when events like the skicross are being invented for the “big crowds and good ratings.” Will the retention of long-standing Olympic classes be riding the coat tails of boats like the Foiling Moth? Or as Alpine sports have done, should sailing re-invent itself just for the grand stage of the Olympics? I once tried to hop a water-ski ramp with a Flying Scot. Maybe the wrong tool for the job, but perhaps this is where Olympic yachting is headed. -- Craig Leweck, Scuttleblog: http://tinyurl.com/sf8u7 MORE GIFT IDEAS Shop now for the sailors on your list (or drop hints to those who have you on their list). North U Books, CDs, DVDs and Seminars make great gifts for your crew (or skipper). Take your pick: Racing, Cruising, and Weather. Not sure which items suit the sailor in your life? Try a North U Gift Certificate. You can spend a lifetime learning to be a better sailor. North U accelerates the process. Accelerate your holiday shopping at http://www.NorthU.com AWARD WINNERS Cruising World has picked the Catalina 309 and the Malö 40 as the top overall boats for 2007. The winners, along with the rest of the Boat of the Year award winners, will be featured in the January issue of Cruising World, due to hit newsstands on December 15. This marks the 14th edition of these prestigious awards by the nation's foremost cruising title. Despite being one of the smallest sailboats in the running, the Florida-built Catalina 309 hit the bull's-eye in claiming the top overall Domestic Boat of the Year award. "I think that for the purpose it was put on the water, to be able to walk down, jump aboard, and simply go enjoy it on a weekend, the boat not only hit the price in terms of value but also hit the mark in terms of use," remarked judge Alvah Simon, a world voyager. Cruising World judges also noted that this easy-to-handle boat may attract new sailors to the sport so they can learn the ropes and then trade up to another model, an approach that's important to the health of the entire industry. In addition to the overall title, the Catalina 309 picked up the Best Small Cruiser award as well. The judges' decision to crown the Malö 40 as Import Boat of the Year came after lengthy discussions that involved a number of high-quality boats. However, the Malö 40 prevailed because of, in the words of one of the judges, "a superb job of meeting the needs of long-distance cruising couples in terms of sailing ability, safety, and price." -- Full report: http://www.cruisingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=48033&typeID=395&catID=687 * Look for Sailing World magazine to announce their 2007 Boat of the Year awards later this week. SAILING SHORTS * Photographers Carlo Borlenghi and Andrea Francolini were on the water this past weekend in Sydney, Australia, for the Rolex Trophy, an event held every year for fleets racing in IRC and PHS rating divisions, plus one-design divisions. From the looks of it, Carlo cruised over to a skiff event nearby and sent a sweet sampling of skiff shots. Follow this link for the skiffs, and you can catch Andrea’s photos Monday and Tuesday on the Latest Issue page of the Scuttlebutt website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/1211 * The December issue of the UK-Halsey Newsletter included a story from the Bitter End YC’s Pro-Am event held last October in the BVI. Notable amid the story is a rare photo of the attending skippers… it is just not too often that folks like Russell Coutts, Paul Cayard, Keith Musto, Ken Read, Lowell North, Butch Ulmer, Dave Perry, etc, are in a group shot on the beach. Nice: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1211 * (United Kingdom) Luhrs Marine Ltd, a subsidiary of Hunter Marine Corporation in the US, has announced that it is to shift the manufacture of Hunter and Legend sailing yachts to the US following a significant downturn in business. The closure of the Luhrs factory, which is located in Portland, Dorset, UK, is expected to help offset the softening demand for the company's yachts in several key markets, including the US. -- IBI Magazine, full story: http://tinyurl.com/y63rg3 * (Dec. 11, 2006) Farr Yacht Design announced that they are in construction on the Farr 11, which is a 35 ft canting keel racing boat. “Design #613” has a 45-degree canting keel, twin asymmetric canards and twin retractable rudders on a hull with high form stability. The rig is a transplant from skiff rig development with a large square-headed main on a highly swept spreader, no backstay rig. The boat is being built by Premier Composite Technologies in Dubai who have received ongoing orders. Hull #1 is due to launch in Dubai in February 2007. -- Complete design details posted on the Scuttlebutt website: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1211f “MAN OVERBOARD!” The best just became more affordable. SeaMarshall’s new, permanently mounted, direction-finding receiver, the SarFinder 1003, only costs about half the price of similar man-overboard homing receivers. The SarFinder is the perfect match for your SeaMarshall water-activated man-overboard beacons. (Works with other brands, too!) Contact Chip Barber for information: mailto:admin@chabrber.com; http://www.chbarber.com/seamarshall.html LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or simplicity (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, a more open environment for discussion is available on the Scuttlebutt Forum. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forum: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Adrian Morgan: I like the idea of Magnus Wheatley's bladerider Moths blasting through the fleet at Qindao, pursued by chase boats and irate officials (from Issue 2240). It recalls Charles Parsons' Turbinia at the 1897 Spithead Naval Review weaving among the fleet at over 34 knots, which had the (belated) result of persuading the Admiralty to adopt steam turbines, which lead to the launch of the Dreadnought, which lead to an escalation in the arms war between England and Germany, which lead to the First World War... hang on. Maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to let the Moths loose on Qindao. Where would it lead? * From Andrew Bellamy: (Re: Magnus Wheatley’s letter in ‘butt 2240) Anyone who has seen moths “flying” first hand knows its true spectator sailing. I am a fan of sailing at the highest level, but even I fall asleep watching the Star class race. They might be technical, they might be hard to sail, but that doesn’t mean a thing when it’s a fight for public attention and TV ratings, which the Olympics is. Sure, the boats being sailed have to be technical to attract the high level competition and ultimately find the greatest person/team in that discipline on the planet, but they also have to be able to attract attention. Like it or not, the Olympics is the biggest media billboard we have. There have been a lot of emails on ‘butt about how to make our sport more interesting to newcomers. I guarantee that moths on wings at the Olympics would do more for sailing than anything else. Maybe for this class it could be coupled together with a “racetrack” style layout, where buoys mark a tight course which is obvious from the air we have a sport which is obvious (they are leading, they are last), fast, furious and exciting. In reality, the next Olympic Games are going to hurt sailing in a big way – very light prevailing breeze with big shifts etc. Even for anyone who knows the RRS backwards this is going to be difficult viewing. For an outsider, they’ll be channel hopping quicker than the JOG fleet in summer (and that’s fast!). Moths for 2012! -- Curmudgeon’s Comment: We wrote back to Andrew, as he lost us on his comment about the “JOB fleet.” He thoughtfully replied, and his description of the fleet might hopefully give some folks in North America the idea for something similar: “JOG stands for “Junior Offshore Group” and it is a fantastic UK Solent based organisation that runs offshore racing. They are totally separate from RORC who run their own racing series, and they promote safe, fun offshore racing for families and less experienced sailors in generally smaller, less “racey” boats - Think Beneteau’s, old IOR racers, and all out cruising boats with heating, showers etc! The majority of their racing is across the English Channel, with a race over and back most weekends (hence my term!). It’s a simple setup – race to France from Cowes over a Friday night, arrive Saturday morning, drink great French wine and eat in fine French restaurants, sleep, then return home to be back in the office by Monday morning. “It is the friendliest, most down-to-earth racing group in existence I would think. Trophies are awarded to winners, families, first timers, etc. Sponsored boats are banned, Pro’s are banned (unless they are teaching), and boats helping other boats is totally encouraged. JOG co-exists beautifully with the RORC series which attracts the bigger and more serious racing crews. It’s something I don’t think I’ve ever seen anywhere else but it should be encouraged everywhere. A lot of the people taking part would never cross a stretch of water like the English Channel (80miles of busy, harsh water) on their own – but when you are in company of 50 other boats, there is a real “security blanket” feel to the racing.” -- http://www.jog.org.uk CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION "By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth." - George Carlin Special thanks to Vanguard Sailboats, North U, and C.H. Barber. Scuttlebutt is also supported by UBS, main partner of Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup. |
